The very first stage of labor is called Early Labor. During this stage is when you feel those light contractions that don't really bother you so much and your cervix slowly thins out and dialate a bit. These contractions are also known as braxton hicks. Braxton hicks are very mild and usually you can ease the discomfort by taking a short walk or you can lay down and relax, take a warm bath, or
. maybe catch up on some sleep before the baby comes. You're going to want to save all your energy for when you get to the hospital. The first stage of labor is known as Active Labor. During this time your cervix starts to thin out and dialate alot faster. The pain gets alittle bit worse but you can still manage to walk and talk with little to no problem at all. Depending on the person some women feel contractions every 5 to 8 minutes apart. And also on some women the cervix takes a bit longer to dialate. Now the duration of labor can never be determined by your doctor. It just happens. Some women take longer then others. It can take up to 12 hours or maybe more to get through the entire labor process. Usually they say it takes longer for you to have a baby when it's your first time but like I said not everyone is the same. For some that is not true. For me, both times, I was in labor for at least 6 hours. It was great! Ok as your cervix continues to thin out you should start to feel more pain and discomfort. By the time you reach 8 centimeters dialation you should already have a hard time talking from the amount of pain you're feeling. That's only if you've decide not to have an epidural. An epidural is medication that is given to you to help with the pain and discomfort of labor. It worked wonders trust me but if you want to be more active during your labor you might not want to get one. There are other medications a doctor can give you to help take some of the edge off but you have to discuss those options with your doctor to find the right one for you. Once you've reached 8 centimeters this is usually called the transition. The transition marks the point between the first part of active labor and the second. This is the most intense part of labor. The cervix will dialate so quickly it'll be a matter of no time before you have to start pushing. Once you hit 10 centimeters and you've passed the transition point your baby should start moving down further into the birth canal. You should start feeling some rectal pressure. Just like when you need to go to the bathroom. Some nurses will ask you to push whenever you feel the urge while the doctor arrives. And some will actually tell you to let your cervix do the work for you until you really get a big urge to push. When your cervix contracts it pushes the baby further and further down the birth canal so that's what I mean about let your cervix do the work. Now when your doctor tells you to push take a really deep breath because you're going to need it. Having support from your loved ones helps alot. Take deep breaths throughout the entire pushing you don't want to pass out while you're trying to have a baby. Once you start pushing your baby should come quick and easy. It's alot of pain and hard work but it's all worth it in the end. Here is a link you can go to where it explains everything with more specific details on how the entire process works and things you can do to get through it easier.http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-stages-of-labor_177.bc?page=1
